Everything You Need for Spring Cleaning - This Year and Every Year

There are a staggering variety of vacuum cleaners on the market, each one claiming to be the solution to your specific cleaning needs. My feeling is that unless you have wall-to-wall shag carpet in every room or dogs that shed person-sized hairballs, you can more than likely get away with a lightweight machine that doesn't take up too much space. After all, you're more likely to vacuum regularly if hauling the thing out of the closet isn't some big production! Eureka's cordless vacuum has a highly efficient, 350W motor and a battery that, when fully charged, can run for up to 45 minutes. The lay-flat design makes cleaning under the couch or bed a breeze, plus it converts to a small handheld in no time, taking you from the floor to the stairs to the drapes with just a few modifications. And it only weighs 6.4 lbs!

If your old broom is fraying and the bristles are falling out, or your dustpan is warped so much that the dirt escapes underneath it, it's time to get a new set. This one is comprised of a broom with four rows of densely woven bristles made from recycled water bottles and dustpan with built-in teeth for combing hair and debris out of the sweeper. Both feature telescoping handles and a stand-up design to help you avoid stooping over while you work.

Your skin and nails can take a beating during Spring Cleaning season, what with all the chemical cleansers and hot water. A pair of latex-free gloves like these will help keep your hands clean and protected while you wipe down the toilet and scrub the tub.

Don't you think it's high time you finally kicked your addiction to supposedly "convenient" waste-creating cleaning tools like disposable mop pads? This spray mop works just like a Swiffer WetJet but without the plastic waste. Fill it with your favorite cleaning solution or make your own natural version with white distilled vinegar, water, a squirt of dish liquid or castile soap, and a few drops of essential oils! It comes with three machine-washable, ultra-absorbent microfiber pads suitable for use on hardwood, tile, or laminate, plus a free grout brush to lift stubborn gunk.

If you're committed to ridding your cleaning supplies of single-use plastics, you'd do well to throw this pair of glass spray bottles in your cart. They're made from lead-free glass and come with BPA-free, adjustable nozzles as well as leak-proof silicone caps. Recipes for DIY Earth-friendly cleaners are all. Over. LoveToKnow! So get mixing!

This biodegradable soap has completely replaced what I used to use to clean my hardwood floors and kitchen tiles. It's a highly-concentrated formula made from plant-based surfactants and essential oils that are tough on dirt yet gentle on the environment and cruelty-free! A small amount mixed with water usually does the trick just fine, but if you're dealing with tough stains, adjust the ratio to be more soap-heavy for a little extra cleaning muscle.

Keep all of your supplies within reach with this handy, durable caddy. Featuring five inner dividers and four extra-deep outer pockets, there's plenty of room for all your sprays, paper towels, brushes, tools, and rags. The adjustable shoulder strap helps you to comfortably transport the whole kit and caboodle from room to room on your cleaning journey.

It may seem superficial, but IMO, an activity-appropriate outfit is key to get you in the right mindset for Spring Cleaning. It should be comfortable, yet functional. These yoga pants from Dragon Fit are made of a thick poly-spandex material that's super stretchy but also provide a good amount of compressive support to the midsection. Plus, they have three pockets for keeping your phone, a rag, or grout brush handy.

I prefer to clean in slides instead of sneakers because they're way easier to kick off whenever you need to walk over freshly-mopped floors. The Bronax Cloud Slippers are lightweight and cushiony, molding to the exact shape of your foot the longer you wear them. Over 20,000 reviewers on Amazon give them five stars!

Think you're just gonna have to live with those cobwebs up in the corners of your cathedral ceilings? Think again! This duster's handle telescopes out to an impressive 100 inches (that's over eight feet!) and features a head made from extra-fuzzy microfiber that creates static to trap the dust before it falls all over your furniture. Plus, it bends to make easy work of cleaning fan blades or high ledges. When it's time to clean it, just pull it off the handle and throw it into a cool wash cycle!

Cleaning blinds is the worst! There's just no elegant way to do it. Or so I thought. I had never heard of such a tool as a blind duster before researching this piece, but as soon as I saw it, I smashed that "Buy Now" button. The SetSail Blind Duster has three arms that gently yet securely wipe dirt and grime off of both sides of several Venetian blinds simultaneously, saving you loads of time and frustration. It comes with four microfiber cloth sleeves and features a small brush on the end to clean out window grooves. One enterprising Amazon reviewer suggested that this would be a fun way for a small child to help with chores, so keep that in mind if your family is pitching in.

My boyfriend's dog-loving mom has one of these carpet brushes and the rubber bristles rake up pet hair like you wouldn't believe. But it isn't a single-function tool. The other side of the brush is a squeegee that can be used on hardwood, concrete, and tile floors, windows, or shower doors! So handy.

Another must-have for pet owners: the Bissell Little Green carpet and upholstery cleaner. It's a small, portable wet vac that cleans so much deeper than the spray-and-scrub method can, lifting even years-old stains. What's even better? Bissell donates $10 of the sale of each pet product to their Bissell Pet Foundation, which helps homeless pets.

All-natural cleaning products are my preference, but it should be noted that, while these DIY recipes and biodegradable soaps are effective cleaners, they do not always sanitize. If you're looking for a truly germ-free surface, this Clorox Spray is for you. Its aerosol and bleach-free formula is safe to use on many surfaces both hard (like countertops) and soft (textiles and upholstery) and kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses, including the COVID-19 virus.

Easily one of my favorite discoveries as an adult, these attachments save so much time and effort you'll wonder how you ever got along without them. All you do is pop a brush head onto your power drill then bust through soap scum, hard water stains, and grout grime. Need a little extra length to get into a tight space? Just put on the drill bit extender and get grinding.

Then again, there are those who prefer to do things the old-fashioned way. If you kind of like working up a sweat while annihilating baked-on oven messes, these are the manual brushes for you. The set includes three sizes of workhorse scrubbers, all featuring ergonomic rubber handles and stiff, durable bristles.

Bon Ami has been making all natural, non-abrasive cleansers since 1886. Unlike other scouring powders that contain bleach or harmful chemicals, Bon Ami won't damage your clothing and it won't leave behind residues or harsh smells. It's safe to use on bathroom tile, sinks, cooktops, countertops, and even inside coffee pots!

Spring Cleaning means the drains, too! This set includes three plastic barbed snakes, one stainless steel coiled snake, and one stainless steel coiled snake with a gripper function for plucking out solid masses and small objects like lost earrings. (Click through the customer photos at your own peril.)

Soft, absorbent microfiber cloths have so many applications around the house, from drying dishes to buffing glassware to ridding television and device screens of fingerprints and dust. These cloths from Mr. Siga are extra strong and feature tight stitching and reinforced edges meant to withstand hundreds of washes.

This squeegee is a must for anyone with glass showers and sliding patio doors. Its 10 inch rubber blade obliterates streaks while preventing soap scum and mineral buildup and the sturdy stainless steel construction is super resistant to rust. It even comes with a convenient waterproof adhesive hook to keep it near where you'll use it most.

But what about existing hard water stains? RainX X-Treme Clean shower door cleaner is a miracle product. It's formulated to power through even the most stubborn buildup - including calcium, lime, and rust - leaving behind a crystal clear surface. Just apply with a soft cloth, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe away!

Is there anything so uniquely horrifying as accidentally catching the toilet brush on the lip of the bowl as you clean, flinging lord-knows-what into the air? *Shudder* The flexible silicone bristles of this BOOMJOY brush gently yet effectively scrub the toilet bowl, getting into the tight spots in the pipe and under the lip without risk of the dreaded backspray. Plus, it rinses cleaner than a nylon-bristle brush and even has a set of tweezers built into the handle that you can use to extract hair and other debris. I recently upgraded my old 99-cent store toilet brush to one of these, and I'm so glad I did.

Deep cleaning projects are excellent opportunities to assess where small (or large) improvements can be made to the overall organization of your home. Bathrooms seem to habitually get the short end of the stick in terms of storage options, so I like to put up racks and small shelves to compensate for, say, a lack of cabinets. This one from mDesign features three towel cradles (if you, like me, were not blessed with a linen closet), plus hooks and shelves for your products and decor.

You're not doing yourself any favors dumping all of your laundry into the washing machine at the same time. This rolling laundry cart has three thirteen-gallon bags hanging from the frame, enough room to separate the darks from the lights, and towels from clothes. They're made from heavy-duty fabric that resists moisture and mildew, with reinforced seams for extra sturdiness. When you're ready to do your laundry, you can either roll the whole cart over or lift each bag out by their handles!

COVID befell my household just before the holidays and practically the entire month of December was a symphony of hacking coughs and explosive sneezes. When it all finally died down, I took every soft fabric item in my apartment to the laundromat to clean and sanitize - towels, bedding, pillows, throw blankets, clothes, you name it. It was quite an undertaking, but it truly made a world of difference in my home. And there was only one detergent I even considered using for such an operation: Tide Hygienic Clean Power Pods. Each pod is an ultra-concentrated pillow of ten active ingredients that wash away both visible and invisible soils. They can be used in any temperature water and even come in a fragrance-free version for folks with sensitive skin! If laundry is on your to-do list, give these a try to see the difference for yourself.

Washing machines can be breeding grounds for mold and mildew. (Have you ever lifted the rubber seal around your front-load washer? Yikes.) Thankfully, there's a solution for sanitizing the parts of the machine that you can't reach, like the filter, hose, pump, valve, and inside the drum and agitator. Toss one of these tabs into an empty washing machine, run a "Clean Washer" cycle, and in no time, it'll be sparkling.

Lint buildup in your dryer vents can impact how dry your clothes get. That itself is pretty annoying, but if the problem is left to compound, it could also lead to something way more dangerous: a fire. Sealegend's vent cleaner system consists of an extra long brush and vacuum hose extender that gets deep into the vent to remove lint that doesn't make it to the screen. Use once a month to keep your appliance working properly.

It seems there's no crayon mark, greasy fingerprint, or baked-on mess that can defeat these little magic sponges. When activated by water, the melamine resin becomes nearly as hard as glass, creating an abrasive that acts like an extremely fine-grade sandpaper to lift the offending grime and then trap it away. I keep a couple around to scrub off scuffs on my walls as I notice them. The before-and-after is always *chef's kiss.*

For pod-coffee drinkers, regularly flushing your machine is essential to its health and also to maintaining your brew's flavor. Pop in one of these nontoxic, biodegradable pods and run a large brew cycle to clear the system of oil residues and debris. Throw the pod away and run a water-only cycle to finish! Simple as that.

Why do microwaves feel like the most impossible appliances to clean? Would you believe that all you really need to loosen whatever exploded onto the walls is some steam? It's true! Fill this little volcano with plain water and a splash of distilled white vinegar, run on high for seven minutes, then wipe the inside down with a sponge.

The Pink Stuff has been all over CleanTok for some time now, and for good reason: it works. What you may not know is that it's actually been restoring sheet pans and de-gunking grout since 1938! This rhubarb-scented abrasive paste is a heavy-hitter in the fight against stubborn stains.

Groceries you can see are groceries you're more likely to use before they spoil, which is why cleaning and organizing the refrigerator should not be overlooked during this process. Take everything out of every compartment and lay it all on the countertop to assess. Anything expired should be tossed, obviously, and the interior of the fridge should be given a thorough wipe-down at the very least. Next, put your food back in grouping like items with like: dairy and eggs together, juices and beverages, fruits and vegetables, sauces and condiments, always being mindful to put the items that need to be used first toward the front. This is made way easier with a couple of extra drawer-style organizers, especially if you're working with a small fridge with the standard one or two crisper compartments. I love these from Taiuloo because they stack securely and you can use them in any configuration you need!

A simple solution for creating additional storage in cabinets? Wire racks that hang from the shelves! Slip these on and suddenly the unused vertical space becomes a home for tableware, pantry items, food storage bags, or anything else you can imagine.

While you're reorganizing your kitchen cabinets (and I do hope you pulled everything out, vacuumed, and wiped them down first...), why not create a dry goods pantry worthy of your nine-grid? These glass, airtight canisters are perfect for keeping pastas, dried fruit, grains, cereal, and baking items. The set of five includes two small canisters, two medium, and one large, all with their own bamboo lids.

You'd better check your temperature. Have you got organizing fever yet? It might be time to dive into that tornado of a closet and install a system that actually works. Custom designer storage spaces can cost thousands of dollars but Rubbermaid has created a modular closet kit that practically anyone can put together and comes in at under $200! Once installed, this kit gives you an extra 20 feet of shelving space and 12 feet of hanging space. Put it against a flat wall or fit it into a corner. Whatever your room and needs dictate, this kit can be configured to accommodate it.

Okay, okay, maybe you're not quite ready for a full-on closet makeover, but you do want to squeeze out a couple more inches of space on your hanging rods. That's where these nifty organizers can really come in handy. Each one has space for six items to hang vertically, meaning the space that was formerly taken up by six hangers now is only occupied by one. Clever, right? It's an ideal solution for lightweight items you have a ton of, like button-down shirts, purses, or dresses.

While you're at it, treat yourself to some new non-slip velvet hangers. They take up way less space than plastic ones and you'll never again have to pick your silks up off the floor.

When was the last time you really gave your makeup brushes a good, soapy bath? Dirty brushes can cause breakouts and even pink eye, so it's a good idea to give them a good cleaning regularly. This contraption mechanically swishes your brushes in cleaning solution then spins them dry. Quick, easy, and smart!

When you're cleaning and organizing, every space can be potentially useful. You just have to know what to do with it. For example, the area under the sink. You may think that the pipes that dip down awkwardly render this cabinet a No-Man's Land, but not so if you have a riser like this one. The U-shape fits around most plumbing to maximize that area's storage capabilities. Now that you've fortified your cleaning arsenal with all these must-haves, give them a tidy place to live until their next mission!

Now it's time to relax and enjoy the fresh vibes in your home. Light a lemon verbena scented candle, sit back, and admire all of your hard work (along with a refreshing ambience)!